This invention relates generally to fiber optic connectors and, more specifically, to a separable in-line fiber optic connector for coupling fiber optic components such as a pair of optical fibers or a single optical fiber and a light source or detector. The terminal end surface of an optical fiber for use in light wave transmission must be flat and highly polished to minimize insertion losses. The optical fibers typically must also be axially, laterally, and angularly aligned within certain parameters to establish an excellent optical coupling between two optical fibers. The success achieved in the development and production of optical fibers has therefore focused strongly upon connectors and couplers for such fibers including in-line connectors. The ability to design, manufacture, deploy and service a data transmission line, for instance, requires suitable connectors in order to assure the continued progress of the fiber optics field. Accordingly, connectors for this and other applications typically capable of plural mate/unmate cycles must be developed which can be used without any significant increase in insertion losses.
Many fiber optic connectors presently available are precision, expensive instruments providing very low insertion losses but they are not designed for repeated connection, disconnection, or servicing by untrained field personnel. This is particularly true in long distance applications such as telephonic systems and in other applications requiring extremely low insertion losses where expensive low loss connectors may be employed. It has been found, however, that expensive low loss connectors are not always well suited for applications requiring a large number of connectors which need not achieve the same level of low insertion losses. For instance, in such applications as computers and other data transmission applications, a large number of relative short lengths of optical fibers are employed. In such applications, it would be preferable to terminate the optical fibers with connectors which suitably are capable of plural mate/unmate cycles for servicing in the field. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved low cost connector of the character described.